You May Also Like

Discover the untold stories and hidden secrets of ancient Rome in this three-disc collection of five National Geographic classics. Travel back in time to see how gladiators lived, fought, and died; explore the rise of Christianity and how it shaped the Roman empire; discover the true face of Rome’s most notorious emperor; and trace the journey of the Roman military from the furthest frontiers back to the city for which they killed and died.

Roman Empire Classics includes Gladiators Back from the Dead, Murder in the Roman Empire, How Nero Saved Rome, When Rome Ruled: Rise of Christianity, and When Rome Ruled: War Machine.

Gladiators Back from the DeadUp to one million gladiators are thought to have died in arenas across the Roman Empire. And, although fascination with gladiators has been high, the details of their lives and deaths remain fragmentary. Now, with the discovery of an ancient Roman burial site containing 80 skeletons thought to be gladiator warriors, National Geographic recreates the world of the Roman arena and how six gladiators lived, fought and died.

Murder in the Roman EmpireBritish investigators discover bones hidden under the floor of an old army barracks near the Scotland border. Preliminary observations indicate the victim may have been bound and was killed with blunt force trauma to the skull. But, this victim died nearly 1,800 years ago. Solving the mystery of who murdered a 10-year old child in 213 AD, Murder in the Roman Empire delves into the life of an ancient Roman garrison using forensics, archaeology, and criminal investigation. Could an individual soldier have taken advantage of deserted barracks to hide his crime? Or was there collusion among a group of soldiers?

How Nero Saves RomeNero is accused of having "fiddled while Rome burned" and remembered for executing his mother and burning Christians alive. History has sided against him on all counts, but could there be another side to ancient Rome's notorious emperor? National Geographic reveals how Nero rebuilt a city devoured by fire, revolutionizing Western architecture and forever changing the face of Rome.

Rise of ChristianityChristianity conquered the Roman Empire. It catapulted from a persecuted mystery cult, viewed as a threat to the pagan ritualistic pantheon, to a turning point of victories over Rome's traditional religion. National Geographic unravels how the Christians infiltrated, endured and overran Rome; from the earliest martyrs to the first Christian empire, see how they spread their message.

War MachineMighty. Brutal. Feared. It was the most disciplined and deadly force in the ancient world. Though history remembers the names of emperors and generals, it was the ordinary men of the Roman military machine that carved out and kept an empire. They trained, fought and marched thousands of miles on roads that they built. Using ancient records and scientific research and recent archaeological finds, trace their journey as invaders, peacekeepers and colonists from the furthest frontiers back to the city for which they killed and died. These are the men of the Roman military machine.